How old is too old?

[BestyBlue]

Hi everyone,

 

My parents are seriously thinking about flying out and joining us on a parents visa (I don't know which one, but they seem to have it all pretty much planned out). But, the only thing that seems to be worrying my step dad is his age. By the time they would probably be ready to move he will be between 73-75 and he is worried that he'll be too old to make such a move. Now he is a very fit person often found on the golf course and I think he'd be just fine, but I was wondering how old some of the parents on here were when they made the move and how well did you cope?

 

I think he just needs a little reassurance as doing something like this was obviously never something they had considered until we decided to up sticks and leave the country with their beloved grandaughter.

 

Thank you in advance and I look forward to your responses

[Johndoe]

Can't help with the experience but I'm 67 and if I had to move back to the UK after 21 yrs here, I'd cope, despite how the UK has changed. Different coming to a country that you'd never experienced, I know, but my personal opinion is that if you want something bad enough, you'd cope................It's when incentive isn't there that the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan......................they seem to want to be with you bad enough, so I'm sure things will work out fine...............plenty of golf courses in Oz :-)

 

Worst scenario, they can always return to the mother country.............nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Quoll]

Well, as he won't be wanting to work, he should be fine. I'm 67 too (as is JD) and will be ping ponging until the day I die, probably. If he was planning to move to work then, yes, he would be too old - over the hill at 50 in Aus for the most part. However, whether he will want to be giving up his social network, familiar territory and all that as he slides into old age is anybody's guess. There are financial things to be taken into consideration (frozen pensions), and also whether, being older, they can cope with the heat (I always found the heat hard but it gets worse as I get older). Added to that it is very much a toss up whether they will be able to establish the same sorts of friendships they have in UK and so whether they will find themselves relatively more isolated and dependent. They could do what my olds did - 6 months here playing golf, 6 months there playing golf and they did that until they were too old at 81 by which time one of their grandkids had emigrated back to UK. If they are fit, healthy, resilient, outgoing, well heeled and up for adventure then there is no reason why not. Are you planning on staying?